A fire at the Merowe Dam triggers a near-total power outage in Sudan.

August 3, 2026 (PEN) The states of River Nile, Red Sea, Northern and large parts of Khartoum experienced a near-total power outage on Sunday due to a large fire in the power cables of the Merowe Dam power station in northern Sudan.

The outage threatens to put hospitals out of service and affect drinking water supplies, amid a heat wave that has exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum explained in a statement that the fire caused significant damage to the main feeders of the transmission lines in Merowe, Atbara, and Al-Murkhiyat, adding that repair work is expected to take "several days." It also indicated that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The Minister of Energy and Minerals, Al-Mu'tasim Ibrahim, directed the provision of urgent spare parts, securing alternative power supplies, and connecting the networks "efficiently and equitably." The ministry had announced on Saturday that a small fire at the station had been brought under control.

The power outage sparked widespread anger, with protesters in the Red Sea region blocking the national highway leading to Khartoum in protest against the outages that have lasted for more than two weeks. Calls for the dismissal of the Minister of Energy have also intensified on social media.

The crisis coincides with a severe shortage of drinking water in some areas, most notably Omdurman in Khartoum, while before the holiday, the periods of power cuts reached 10-12 hours a day.

The Merowe Dam is Sudan's largest hydroelectric power plant, with a design capacity of 700 megawatts. The electricity crisis has worsened since the outbreak of war in April 2023, and this is the third time the system supplied by the dam has experienced a near-total collapse since the start of the conflict.